Tumuli Park, Gyeongju, Korea

We’re staying in Gyeongju for two nights. This city with a population of nearly 300, 00 is one of Korea’s most popular tourist destinations. It’s history goes back to 57 BCE when it became the capital of the Silla Kingdom and it remained the capital for nearly 1000 years In the 7th century under King Munmu, the Silla kingdom was successful in conquering the neighboring Baekje and Goguryeo Kingdoms unified the whole peninsula.
We started today’s adventures with a journey to central Gyeongju and Tumuli Park. Tumuli means earth mounds and it is here that 23 tombs of Silla monarchs and family members Like yesterday’s visit to Kaya mound tombs, Silla tombs are very much the same, suggesting that Silla incorporated this method of burial from the Kaya region they conquered.
What captured my attention fairly quickly was how centralized these tombs were to the center of the city. Unlike other cultures that bury their dead some distance away from the ‘land of living,” this is certainly not the case with Silla tombs. Today it makes for a surreal landscape of hilly knowls and city streets, shops and pedestrian walkways. One of the tombs we were able to visit in Tumuli Park is called Cheonmachong, or Heavenly Horse Tomb which was built around 5th c. C.E. We were able to get a close-up look into how these tombs were built and appreciate the durability of these structures to prevent tomb robbers from plundering the remains and artifacts.
Nearby is the park’s most distinctive and largest two-part tumulus called, Hwangnamdaechong. Previous excavations discovered that this tomb was built for a king and queen and contained, among other treasures artifacts from Rome, showing that the Silk Road did not end in Xian, China as many people believe but continued on into Korea and eventually into Japan.
Next it was off to Gyeongju National Museum. Here we were led by Ms. Kukhee Hwang in a personal tour through the large collection of historical artifacts of the Silla Kingdom. Here we were shown various objects removed from Silla tombs and nearby Anapji Pond which reveal much about the people and way of life of this time period in Korea, including the exquisite gold crown found in the Heavenly Horse tomb. Ms. Hwang along with our Korea Society leader, Ms. Yong Jin Choi pointed a number of artifacts that reveal the impact other Silk Road cultures have had on Korean culture and how this cultural trade and transmission extended to Japan as well through Korea.
After lunch we hiked up Tohamsan Mountain to see the Bulguks-sa Temple. Originally built in AD 528, Bulguk-sa Temple provides and excellent example of arcitecture from the Silla Kingdom, one of the three Kingdoms in ancient Korea. Litterally meaning "Buddha Land, " It emained in tact for more than 1,000 years until the Japanese destroyed it in 1593. It was reconstructed in the 1970's and now is designated as Historic and Scenic Place No. 1. We entered passing through the gate and by the four guardians of the temple. They are there to keep all evil spirits away. Then we saw the temple the main stairway made up of 33 steps, each one representing a step toward enlightenment. (This stairway is one of Korea's National Treasures. ) We then climbed up to the courtyard. Here we saw two national treasures, two stone pagodas that stand in the courtyard. These pagodas managed to survice the Japanese invasion. The top level is the "Land of The Buddha" and up here I was able to wonder around several temples and meditate in peaceful solitude, placing a stone on top other stones in a garden of "wishing stones."

In the mountains above Bulgiska Temple is Seokguram Grotto. In a rotunda inside the grotto sits an image of Sakyamuni Buddha surrounded by three dozen guardians and lesser dieties. Buddha is looking towards the East Sea (Sea of Japan) and is therefore considered to be the protector of his country. I couldn't help but imagine how those huge blocks of granite quarried far to the North were brought up to this point. Surely, many common Koreans labored intensely to create their protector Buddha.

Later that evening, we had a lovely Korean barbecue dinner where we cooked our own beef ribs, galbi, on an outdoor picnic table with a grill in the middle of the table along with an assortment of plates called banchon. I’ve learned while in Korea that many Korean dishes such as the galbi are placed on a sesame leaf along with some kind of root vegetables or other dressings are placed on top. Delicious!

After dinner we walked around Anapji Pond. This area. constructed by King Munmu in 674, was once a pleasure garden to commemorate the unification of the Korean peninsula under Silla. The buildings were burned in 935, and many relics ended up in the pond itself, to be rediscovered only when it was drained in 1975. Thousands of well-preserved objects were found that shed light on the Unified Shilla kingdom and its transmissions and trade with Japan. The sun was down when we arrived but the walk around the pond was enhanced by the well lit buildings that lined the lake and cast their images upon the still dark waters. It truely was a lovely ending to a memorable day!

Heinsa-The Temple of Dharma

Today we were off to the beautiful Haeinsa Temple. It’s a Unesco World Heritage site located in Gayasan National Park. Haeinsa is one of the top 10 great temples of the Avatamsaka sect of Buddhism and Korea’s most significant temple. The temple is located high atop Gaya mountain and as you make you way up, you wander through forests, and gently flowing streams. It is a truly peaceful experience. Once there, we walked up stone steps and entered through the south gate, passed the four guardians of the temple to the main hall. Here contained the bell house for the call to prayer instruments as well as a multi-layered stone pagoda and lantern of the Wondangam Hermitage. Then it was up some stone steps to four enormous storage halls that function as the repository for the Tripitaka Koreana-81, 340 woodblock prints, on which are contained the complete Buddhist scriptures as well as illustrations. These buildings have simple but effective ventilation systems that prevent deterioration. The slatted windows allowed me to take a peek inside to see the National Treasures. Back down in the main hall, I walked the way of the Dharma as I meditated on the meaning of life and the I regrettably left behind this beautiful monastery. Upon my return to Korea, I’d love to return here and spend some days in reclusion along with other pilgrims. Here through a “temple stay” I can learn Buddhist disciplines such as meditation that will allow me to rekindle my own identity within my soul and allow my mind to find rest, which is the core value of all Buddhist practices.

After lunch it was off to the Jisandong ancient tombs in Jisan-ri, Korea to explore the tumuli, or earth mound tombs of the Kaya Kingdom. The Kaya Federation was a loose federation of tiny states based in the lower reaches of the Naktong River of the Youngnam Province. This federation of small inter-dependent states was annexed to Shilla in 562A.D. The tombs of the Kaya are located on mountain ridges or hills.

We bagan the afternoon with a visit to the Wangreung Exhibit were we saw the archeological work done on these tombs that bring to light the peoples of 5th century Kaya Federation Korea through their practices, and the artifacts found in these tombs. Then it was an amazing 1.5 km hike up to the top of the mountain to see the Tomb of Jisandong as well as other mound tombs. As I was making my slow and strenuous trip to the top, I couldn’t help to contemplate on how difficult and back breaking it must have been for the ancient Koreans as they brought up the stones all this distance to make these wonders. I was also imagining the funeral procession of the King on the way up to the tomb. It was not uncommon for the King to buried with his servants and perhaps other family members. These people were buried alive along with their master. Archeologist know this from the wounds found on the bones of the remains that these were “live burials.” Did the sacrificial victims take their last exhausting breaths on these very same slopes? What were they thinking as they were preparing to follow their master into the afterlife? Finally we made it to the top and we all took a photo with the earth mounds behind us. What an incredible journey and what a breathtaking view it allowed us to have.

We ended this incredible day with a visit to the Gaesil Village, which is the traditional head house of the Jeompiljae clan in Hapka-ri. There we tried our hand at making a traditional Korean glutinous rice jelly treat. Barley and rice is boiled for three days and then allowed to cool. When we arrived our mixture, which was cooled and hard to the touch, was ready for our part in the preparing process. Working in groups of two we stretched and twisted and kneaded the concoction into a hard, white glutinous cord which we allowed to harden for a further five minutes. Then we took a wooden stick and twisted a bit of the cord and whacked it with the stick and WALA off snaps a piece of our rice jelly treat. The taste was subtley sweet and chewy to the bite, life taffy. Fun!! Then we toured the house, which is still lived in by descendants of the Gim-jong-jik, a 15th century Neo-Confucian aristocrat.

For dinner we at dolsot bibimbap, which is bibimbap made in a hot stone pot. It was spicy and delicious.

Today we headed "homeward" to Seoul, leaving our Danyong hotel along the Southern Han River and heading North, but first we stopped at the Mireuksaji Temple site, the greatest Buddhist temple in the kingdom of Baekje. It was founded by King Mu (600-641) of Baekje. Legend has it he was heading to another temple with his queen when appeared before him was three saints from a lake. The queen wished to build a temple on the site and this became the basis for the Mireuksaji Temple. The two stone pagodas and a lovely statue of Buddha (the temple itself no longer stands) behind them in a perfectly symmetrical fashion. The west pagoda is a National Treasure being the oldest stone pagoda in Korea.

Before leaving Danyang a few of us visted the Gusa Cave and had an amazing experience journeying underground observing incredible rock formations and underround springs. We maneuvered through tight crevices in the rock along a metal walkway and up and down small stairways to see some amazing undergound sights!!

Last stop of our incredible five day journey through Korea was brief but important....It was to visit a stone monument from the Korgoryo Kingdom, the only one of its kind in the nation. The monument was erected to commemorate the incorporation of a number of fertresses along the Namhangang River by Goguryeo troops. It was discovered in 1979 in a village named Ipseok. The monument has been severely eroded by age and negligence on the part of local residents who didn't understand the importance of the monument. The monument dates back to the late 5th century when King Jangsu of Goguryeo moved the capital to Pyongyang and extended the Dynasty's territory southward to the basin of the Hangang River. The monument is of great importance to Korean History of the Three Kingdom Period.

Today I went to Sunday mass at Myeong-dong Cathedral. It is the home of the Archdiocese of Seoul and symbol of the Catholic Korean community. Catholicism first arrived in Korea in the late 17oo's brought over by Jesuit missionaries from Europe. The early Catholic community was persecuted in the 1800's by the Korean emperor who saw them as a threat to his government and consequently over 8,000 Korean Christians were executed for their faith. 104 of those martyrs were canonized by Pope John Paul in 1984. Korea is today 25% Catholic, 25% Protestant and 49 % Buddhist (with 1 % Confucianist). It is the most Christianized East Asian nation.

The mass was a beautiful blend of Eastern and Western influences. Just one example-the congregation bows instead of shaking hands to wish each other "peace".


Take Me Out To the Ballgame, take me out to the crowd, buy me some gimbap (Korean Sushi) and dried squid??(check it out below)...I don't care if I ever come back, for it's root, root root, for the home team, if they don't win it's OK?, for it's one, two, three strikes your out at the Korean ball game!...........what I wonderful Sunday afternoon at the ballpark in Seoul. We we were rooting for the Doosan Bears as they were being routed by the Kia Tigers, 11-2. But the home tean fans didn't seem to mind the rout. They loyally cheered on their team from start to finish. The Koreans received baseball from the Japanese at the turn of the century. South Korea won a bronze medal for baseball at Sydney Olympics in 2000 and has had a professional league since 1982, with teams sponsored by local jaebol (giant, family-run companies). Baseball in Korea has a spirit that is reflective of the Korean society. There is an intensity to the game. The fans continually chant songs and clap their blow up "clappers" to cheer on their team to victory. They are led by "cheer coaches" who stand on platforms to lead the faithful in their encouraging chants and cheers. You can really feel the energy in a Korean game of baseball.......To eat we enjoyed the usual....sushi....I couldn't find hotdogs or popcorn anywhere...but I did find rice pufs....The game ended with the usual team bow to their loyal fans and even though the Bears lost, their loyal fans clapped for their appreciation of the team...what a great way to spend our free day to explore Korean culture....you can't get any more cultural than a good old fashion Korean day at the ballpark!

GO DOOSAN BEARS!!

The Korean War-DMZ Tour

After world war II, South and North Korea took vastly different forms of government. The ideological confrontation of these two governments ultimately led to the outbreak of a civil war, known in the West as the Korean War. Yesterday marked the 57th anniversary of the start of the Korean War in 1950. Three years later a cease-fire agreement was finally reached and the 155 mile cease-fire line was drawn that ran from the East Sea to the Yellow Sea, which later created the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
Here troops from North Korea and South Korean and American Forces square off at the border to protect against the possible re-emerging of hostilities between the two countries. Today the zone has come to symbolize both war and peace, and division and unification.



What a surreal experience our DMZ Tour was. We left our hotel dressed in our modest, appropriate dress ( no jeans, no sandals, no short pants, no shorts, skirts, sleeveless shirts, tee-shirts etc.) that would not be seen as inflamatory towards North Korean troops and boarded the Panmunjom Tour Bus. We headed north bond for the Demilitarized Zone and Panmunjom, the dividing line between Communist North Korea and Democratic South Korea. Panmunjom is the name of the place where the truce talks were held from 1951-1953. After meeting 1,076 times in 2 years and 19 days, a lasting agreement was signed among the UN Forces, North Korean Army, and Chinese Army on July 27, 1953. Panmunjom is located at the west end of 155 mile's truce line and serves to this day as the partition site of a nation. The area is located 62 km northwest of Seoul and 215 km south of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. Officially this area is called the "Joint Security Area" and is a special area that is out of administrative control of South and North Korea. It is controlled by Joint Security Officers (South Korean or US Forces on the South side/North Korean soldiers on the North Side.)



As we approached the DMZ zone the Seoul city skyline turned into a rural, uninhabited landscape. We saw the Han River (which runs into the North before emptying into the Yellow Sea) and the barbed wire fence that cordons it off to South Koreans to prevent North Korean difection. Finally we approached the first check point. Here South Korean soldiers came on board and checked our passports. Allowing us to pass we suddenly saw the high barbed wire fences, watch towers and antitank obstacles and minefields that marks the 4km wide DMZ zone. South Korea suffered terrible in 1950 after the North invaded their country and marched all the way south to Pusan. To prevent another attack this border is the most highly fortified border in the world.

Our passports were checked once again by the JSA Officers and we were taken to Camp Bonifas for a slide show on the history of the DMZ. There have been several gun battles in Panmunjom village since the end of the war. Most recently in 1984 when a North Korean tried to defect to the South. More recent shots have been fired in other parts of the DMZ-in November 1981 and in July 2003. Because of the potential risk to tourists visiting the DMZ, we had to sign a "Visitors Declaration" which states that the US Forces and South Korean forces "cannot guarantee the safety of visitors." I loved the last part which stated, "If any incidents should occur, remain calm, and follow instructions issued by security personnel!" After the slideshow we boarded JSA buses (guarded by a South Korean JSA officer) and headed to the Freedom House-where the important diplomatic talks are still held. We were brought outside the Freedom House to take photos but all this time we were instructed NOT to point or gesture to the North Koreans. Right on the demarcation line are North and South Korean soldiers. The North soldier is facing North to prevent defection to the south and the South Korean soldiers are standing in a taekwondo stance, partially concealed behind the blue UN buildings, ready to defend against another attack from the North. We next climbed the pagoda style-building and looked over to the North side and the three UN buildings that straddle the border, where the talks are held. What made this moment quite ironic was that as we looked North we saw a Chinese tour group looking at us in the South from a large North Korean concrete building on the Northern side!

We headed next to see the South Korean border town of Daesong with has 230 residents who are given modern homes by the government along with tax-free incomes in exchange for living here along the border. The town has a tall tower with a South Korean flag on top. On the other side of the border is the North Korean "town" of Gijong. There tower with the North Korean flag atop is even taller, of course. And what makes this town unusual is the fact that all the buildings there are empty and always have been! It's a ghost town whose only function is to broadcast propaganda to anyone around for six to 12 hours a day, using ultrapower loudspeakers.


Our last stop was to the Freedom Bridge. It was a great way to end the trip. It's the Korean hope for the future. This bridge was first built in 1952 to help bring members of the peace talks to Panmunjom. It also served as a roadway for returning prisoners of war in 1953. More recently it was rebuilt as the "Grand Unification Bridge." Just a month ago, passengers were brought to the North for the first time. The hope is this bridge will begin to unite a country that has suffered from division for far too long.

Today we had our last full day of seminars on Korean film and Korean society. The popularity of Korean popular culture around the world is called Hallyu (The Korean Wave). Korean dramas and films have won worldwide recognition for their artistic values. Today we watched the 1999 independent film, My Heart. It was a moving film on the hardships faced by a woman and the people in her life in 1920-1940 Korea.

In the afternoon we all headed to the part of Seoul that still retain several of the old neighborhoods, where Koreans still live in a more traditional dwelling, reflective of the homes of the aristocracy during the Joseon Dynasty period. Their we learned Korean calligraphy, participated in a tea ceremony and enjoyed dressing up in Joseon period traditional dress.

Tonight we had our "graduation" and farewell dinner. After two memorable weeks, the Korean Foundation Workshop portion of our stay has ended. The Australians and New Zealanders are going back tomorrow, so it was one last night to enjoy our time together in Korea. I have learned quite a great deal from our Aussie and Kiwi friends and was sorry to have to say goodbye.